So... Composite front door with upvc framed glazed panels either side. Inquisitive 2 year old who's figured she can not only open the door but also work the lock.
It's just a key in the lock from either side affair.
Currently, we have to keep the door locked which is a bit of a pain for a few different reasons.
I thought there would be something useful around that would prevent her from opening the door but allow taller and/ or more sensible people to still operate the door from either side but I'm drawing a blank.
What I really want is something like those thumb latches you get on garden gates which can be used from either side. Well, like that but without having a gaping hole and crappy looking ironmongery hanging off the door.
I've considered a night latch but that almost certainly means I'll lock myself out at some point. Putting said 2yo on a leash has been frowned upon.
Has anyone got any bright ideas? I want to be able to nip out to the garage without worrying that she'll follow me out there, get distracted by a pigeon and wander off into the sunset.
I keep all my exterior doors locked as a matter of habit.
So just keep the door locked and don't leave the key in it...it's not rocket science.
My keys are always kept in my pocket, or on my bed side table, no exeptions, and no lost keys.
Take key out of door, put it on a hook - we have one of those removable command hooks on the door frame for the key - keeps 2 small people inside.
Tell her not to do it, and threaten to cut her fingers off ?
Or simply tame the key out of the door.
Where do you live where’s it’s safe enough to leave your doors unlocked all day ?
"Where do you live where’s it’s safe enough to leave your doors unlocked all day ?"
Our door is unlocked all day if we are in the house. In fact if I am only taking the dog to the park I don't lock it. Quite often, every month or more, I go out and find I forgot to lock the shed the night before. I rarely lock the car during the day.
Only 7 miles north of Glasgow city centre but well into the lowest 10% of crime rates for Scottish post codes. Ranks 6773 of 6976 data areas. No thefts from houses or garages that I am aware of in my street in the decades I have lived here.
Toddler security. What about a security chain fitted high enough to be well out of toddler reach.
You might be in luck. There's an informative docudrama coming up soon on E4.
“Where do you live where’s it’s safe enough to leave your doors unlocked all day ?”
how many people have tried to access your locked door on a typical day?
Toddler security. What about a security chain fitted high enough to be well out of toddler reach.
I don’t think you’ve understood the OPs brief - he wants to be able to pop to the garage without the little one being able to sneak out, but still get back in himself (and presumably any adult left inside still get out). I’d suggest that two options which are not quite what he asks for might be worth considering: 1. Garden gate that stops an escapee child simply running out the garden; 2. A bell/alarm on the door so that when someone goes in/out you get a loud beep - or chime - like some quiet shops have.
i suppose if the op wants a lock based solution there are finger print based locks/door handles which would mean he needs no keys (I don’t know if they are secure enough to trust them to go away for a week - but as a “day” lock). I suppose you could even just use a magnetic lock with the sort of green “exit” buttons placed at an adult only height…. However it does feel like most kids learn quickly where the boundaries are without this?
Electric cattle fence. Simples. [img] 
[/img]
Cattle prod is cheaper than a fence Tbh.
Cattle prod is cheaper than a fence Tbh.
True, and less collateral damage.
Yeah, what Poly says. It's not like she's left unattended and wanders off in the middle of the day.II just want something that keeps the door closed without being locked.
Keeping the door locked is the obvious solution but it's a pain. I just want to nip to the garage and grab something, I've got to lock it on the way out and then put down whatever I've collected from the garage to unlock the door again.
If the key is in the lock inside, it can't be unlocked from outside. If I got out and lock the door, my other half is locked in. If she's left her house key in the car or whatever then she's trapped in the house.
I prefer to leave the key in the lock so I can unlock the door in an emergency. If my house was on fire, I'd be pretty miffed at having to find the key before I could get out of the house. Same if zombies attacked. I'd want to be able to get put ASAP.
I was after something that meant I don't have to lock the door to stop little madam getting out.
I know it would look weird but I'm thinking a second handle higher up would do the trick. Something like a dead bolt wouldbe ideal but I can't find anything that accessible from both sides of the door.
The garden is secure with a gate on either side of the house. No issues with her letting herself out the back door. The front door opens onto the driveway though so I'd have to gate the driveway and build a wall between me and next door. Bit over budget when I could just keep the door locked.
It's not so much about security, just convenience.
Maybe something a little more subtle than a handle, a thumb turn lock.
You could buy a second thumb turn plate for the outside, side, or keep something that fits the slot near the door/epoxied into the slot.
We had a lock with a thumb lever on the inside, had to change it for a double key and put the key on a hook when small people started wandering. Also had the alarm sensor set to beep when the front door was opened.
Unfortunately making things inconvenient but toddler-proof is a phase that parents have to go through.
Agreed that inconvenient for the sake of a small child is just one of those things about being a parent.
Agreed that inconvenient for the sake of a small child is just one of those things about being a parent.
Wait till they've figured out the keyless car entry and start button...
I was trying to work out why we had never had this issue (and therefore how short a period you have before she just learns to comply). Then I realized that when our kids were at this age the door was “protected” by a staircase and this was “protected” by a stair gate. Rather than make major changes to the door - simply fit a stair gate a metre or so behind the door.
Self closer like a fire door? Enough weight to prevent the door opening.Now ours is old enough to go to the toilet in pubs and restaurants on their own we have to check they aren't stuck behind a fire door they can't pull open (but usually still singing on the toilet).
Whilst we don't really use the front door at home, the drive gates were just held with a bungee so they couldn't let themselves out to talk to the dog over the road.
" I'm thinking a second handle higher up would do the trick. Something like a dead bolt wouldbe ideal but I can't find anything that accessible from both sides of the door."
Assuming you don't mind making a hole in your door why not a standard door handle fitted at shoulder orhead height?
We fitted a BabyDan retracting child "security gate" between our living room and the stairs for that phase of parenthood, and it also covered our front door. The advantage it has over many of the alternatives is a space-efficient concertina mechanism.
Take the door handle off inside, hang it up on the frame.
Or, replace it with a knob. Harder for little fingers to turn than just swinging on a handle.
If the key is in the lock inside, it can't be unlocked from outside. If I got out and lock the door, my other half is locked in. If she's left her house key in the car or whatever then she's trapped in the house.
But if you stay in and lock the door, she's locked out? Fine if you're watching TV, less great if you're in the bath.
I've never faced this as an issue with my 3
Does the door open inwards? Can you put up a child gate of some sort? Perhaps a retractable one
If not can you bodge one of those kid proof door locks on, with even slack that you can open the door and, from the outside, unhook it from the top?
- double post -
how many people have tried to access your locked door on a typical day?
I don’t know because they didn’t get in.
Joking aside though this did / does happen routinely on the north side of Bradford where I used to live.
Police even went door to door letting g themselves in to ‘warn’ people
Try again.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/GlideLok-Babyproofing-Childproofing-Interior-Exterior/dp/B074N3834K
Oh I give up. Google "exit door child lock," there's a bunch of options on Amazon which can be opened from either side of the door.
how many people have tried to access your locked door on a typical day?
By the same logic, how many times on a tourism day does the OPs toddler escape the house and fall down a well?
Lol @Cougar there's someone with a similar username to you who's normally pretty good and helping those who struggle with IT 😉
how many people have tried to access your locked door on a typical day?
By the same logic, how many times on a tourism day does the OPs toddler escape the house and fall down a well?
Lol @Cougar there's someone with a similar username to you who's normally pretty good and helping those who struggle with IT 😉
Surely some form of child gate would do the trick? They are a bit of a pain to open / close so I used to just jump over ours.
And on the keeping your door unlocked, cautionary tale, literally last week we had some drug addled idiot try and smash his way into next door about 5pm on a Friday, I heard him from my kitchen as he proceeded to smash down their gate and was in their garden shouting and screaming about being chased. After quite a lot of shouting (by me) me buggered off, and when I went out the front the police were already there - apparently he'd been on quite a rampage through peoples gardens and trying to get into peoples homes. Christ knows what I would have done if he'd got into our unlocked porch, it would have terrified the kids. Nothing has happened like this in 10 years we;ve been here so quite a shock.
I don’t know because they didn’t get in.
Joking aside though this did / does happen routinely on the north side of Bradford where I used to live.
I know it does happen because many years ago, in a relatively quiet, OK area, someone did sneak in and nick my wife's handbag with phone and purse in it. She learned not to leave her bag near the door. We still wouldn't lock the door if nearby.
That's the thing, nothing ever happens until one day it does. And it only takes one.
That's the thing, nothing ever happens until one day it does. And it only takes one.
Well we can live in fear of the rare events which cause us some pain/inconvenience (like having to cancel your cards and get a new phone - the fast that the phone was not surgically attached to her shows how long ago it was!). OR we can accept theres some small risk but be a little less paranoid and as a result less likely to do something stupid like lock yourself out the house (or worse lock your kid in the house and yourself out)... The solution to the OP's problem is not "OMG imagine leaving your doors unlocked" because thats what he's used to so even if he decided tomorrow that he should be more paranoid about alien abduction (or petty criminals) he'll likely forget at some point and little-one will still be an escape risk.
If the key is in the lock inside, it can't be unlocked from outside. If I got out and lock the door, my other half is locked in. If she's left her house key in the car or whatever then she's trapped in the house.
The way I'm reading this is that you and your wife can't be trusted with keys, never mind toddlers.
😀
If the key is in the lock inside, it can't be unlocked from outside. If I got out and lock the door, my other half is locked in. If she's left her house key in the car or whatever then she's trapped in the house.
The way I'm reading this is that you and your wife can't be trusted with keys, never mind toddlers.
😀
Well we can live in fear of the rare events which cause us some pain/inconvenience (like having to cancel your cards and get a new phone - the fast that the phone was not surgically attached to her shows how long ago it was!). OR we can accept theres some small risk but be a little less paranoid and as a result less likely to do something stupid like lock yourself out the house (or worse lock your kid in the house and yourself out)... The solution to the OP's problem is not "OMG imagine leaving your doors unlocked" because thats what he's used to so even if he decided tomorrow that he should be more paranoid about alien abduction (or petty criminals) he'll likely forget at some point and little-one will still be an escape risk.
https://blueteamhackers.com/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road/
